June 26, 2012

eBay: Top Tips from a Top Seller!

Over the past several months, as a member of eBay's Parent Panel, I have had the great pleasure of meeting some fantastic bloggers and influencers, as well as eBay staffers and executives. Everyone comes to the table with different backgrounds, but the thing that brings us together really is an interest in SELLING! Although I list frequently now, I am definitely still getting the hang of the "how to"-- But thanks to Top Sellers on our team like Tristen O'Brien, I've been learning some great tips and tricks along the way. Recently, I touched base with Tristen who shared with me how he got his start as a full time eBay seller AND how to sell and make money with ease.

1) How did you get started selling on eBay?

My eBay experience starts when my
corporate job decided to transfer me to another city. My wife (Amy) was
nine months pregnant (with Jack) when we finally settled in. One month
later, the job that I had moved for decided that they had to make cuts.
Just my luck, they had to cut my position. With a new baby and a
new mortgage, I had to find a way to support my family. I turned to the
business I knew best, eBay. I had been selling items since 2003, but now
I was forced into selling full time. I now am a power seller with a
passion for sharing my message. I truly believe that anyone can create a
successful full time business on eBay! My goal is help other
entrepreneurs create a full time business while still having the freedom to
stay at home.

2) I recently moved and discovered I owned more
surge protectors than one would think humanly possible. I have them sitting in
a box... but I understand that people flock to ebay to buy cords, surge
protectors etc. First of all, WHY is this popular? How much should I sell them
for? And what's the best methodology when selling "LOT" items in
electronics?

That is very true, people really do
flock to eBay to buy these things. I have sold many in the past myself!
There are all types of surge protectors out there on the market today,
and they are popular because they protect expensive electronics. The
reason why people are flocking to eBay to buy these is because they can be
really expensive in the retail environment. Surge protectors very rarely
go out, so consumers do not mind buying them used if it means getting a deal on
eBay. When selling a surge protector on eBay, the price you may get
depends greatly on the type of surge protector you have. Some sell for
$10 and other sell for over $100! The easiest way for you to figure out
how much to sell your item for would be to use the completed listing feature in
eBay's advanced search. This way you can put in the brand and model
number to get a more accurate understanding of what your surge protector is
worth. Many times, if you have many of the same like item, it is worth
selling them in a "LOT" type of auction, but in this case, surge
protectors sell well individually, and you would make more money going that
route.

3) How often do you sell via local pick
up? Have you ever allowed a buyer to come take a look at an item prior to them
bidding? If they were interested and offered you a reasonable price, but you
had an auction going, can you unlist it and sell to them? Walk people through
this scenario.

I have sold items via local pick up before, but I rarely use this
service unless I have a large item that I cant ship. I think the beauty
of eBay is that you can sell to the whole world, but in some cases it is easier
to just advertise your listing as a local pick up. When it comes to
allowing buyers to come take a look at an item before they bid, I say no. I
take enough pictures and video for the buyer to understand its condition. Its
not that I think its a bad idea, but I like to keep my address private as much
as I can. Once, I have had a buyer who was interested in buying my item
locally, but he needed it that day. He did not want to wait and bid on
the auction, and he asked me if I would end the auction and sell to him. His
offer was fair, but under eBay's rules, it did not fall under the requirements
of ending an auction early. In most cases you can end an auction early if
the item is lost, broken, or otherwise no longer for sale, but you can not have
less than 12 hours left on the auction, and you can not have a bid (with out
selling it to the highest bidder). If you do happen to fall under these
requirements then you can end your auction with no problem. There is a
great tutorial that can be found: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/end_early.html

4) Summer time! What are items that
people should be yanking from their closets and putting up for auction in June?

June is all about Fun in the Sun, and thats whats hot right now. I
sell a lot of men's polo shirts that I find at Goodwill. They sell really
well in the summer time, and I usually make around $7 - $15 per shirt. Clothing
and shoes sell really well and they are easy to list!

5) What are some alternative ways to
save on shipping (but still charge a fee for it)?

Saving money on shipping can be easy if you are prepared. First of
all, never pay for a box. USPS gives them away for free if you use Priority
Mail, or any retail store would be glad to give you theirs on shipment day. To
save money, I try to find the lightest material possible for shipping. I
found that Poly bags work wonders when shipping clothing or other small items. They
are light, and they can hold a lot. This will get you a cheaper shipping
rate. Secondly, driving to the post office will use up gas money, so have
USPS come to you. You can schedule a pick up, and they will come to your
door step for free. Lastly, print your own shipping labels directly from
eBay's website. Its fast, easy, and it gives you a discount when you do
so. More information on how to do that can be found here: http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/questions/print-labels.html

6) What's the coolest thing you've ever
sold and the most money you've ever made from one sale?

The coolest thing I have ever sold may only be cool to me. I am a
big Back to the Future movie fan, so I just so happened to have found a used
shirt and jacket that looked just like the one that Marty McFly wore in the
movie. I knew this would be sold to a smaller niche, but sometimes that
is good! The outfit only cost me $8, but I sold it for $65. I think
it's a lot of fun when you can think out side the norm, and come up with a new
way to sell your item. The most money I have ever made on a item was
$1200 off of an old camcorder that I found at Goodwill for $25. Those
opportunities don't come often, but when they do, I get really pumped up about
selling on eBay!

7) Your top tip for new sellers or
people that just want to clean their closets and make some cash is
______________?

My top tip for new sellers would be to take it slow. I know a lot
of sellers that are really excited at first, but quickly get burt out. Taking
it slow allows you to get familiar with eBay process, and it won't take long
before you are a professional! For those who just want to clean out their
closets and make some cash, I would say to not under estimate what your items
are worth. At first when I was just starting to sell on eBay, I went
through my house and saw some items that I thought no one would buy, but in the
end, they sold and some of those items were my most profitable.

eBay is a great marketplace for anyone who wants to make some extra
money, or make it into a full time business. I have a website that is
dedicated to helping everyone reach their eBay goals. If anyone of your
readers are interested, they can visit www.TheEbayEntrepreneur.com
for more information.